Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IF in Herkingen

Date & Time: May 10, 1940 at 1400 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L1514
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Manston - Manston
MSN:
8797
YOM:
1939
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Manston on a bombing mission over Waalhaven. After passing Rotterdam, the bomber was shot down by a Me.110. The pilot was able to make an emergency landing in an open field located in Herkingen. Both crew members were uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Crew:
P/O Richard Cummings Haine, pilot,
P/O Marcus Kramer, observer.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IF in Piershil: 1 killed

Date & Time: May 10, 1940 at 1400 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L1401
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Manston - Manston
MSN:
8684
YOM:
1939
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Manston on a bombing mission over Waalhaven. Approaching Rotterdam, the bomber was shot down by a Me.110 and crashed in Piershil, south of Rotterdam. A crewman was killed and a second was injured.
Crew:
F/O John Hugh Chitty Rowe, pilot,
P/O Robert Wyatt Hamilton Echlin, wireless operator and air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IF in Pernis: 2 killed

Date & Time: May 10, 1940 at 1400 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L6616
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Manston - Manston
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Manston on a bombing mission over Waalhaven. Approaching Rotterdam, the bomber was shot down by a Me.110 and crashed in Pernis, in the suburb of Rotterdam. Two crew members were killed and a third was injured.
Crew:
S/L James Michael Wells, pilot, †
Sgt John Davis, observer,
Cpl Basil Arthur Kidd, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I into the North Sea: 4 killed

Date & Time: Apr 15, 1940 at 0400 LT
Operator:
Registration:
L4152
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Scampton - Manston
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Scampton at 1945LT on April 14 on a mine laying sortie over the western Baltic Sea. At 0400LT, while returning to Manston Airport, the crew was able to send a distress message when the aircraft crashed into the North Sea. No trace of the airplane nor the crew was found.
Crew:
Sgt Ernest Reginald Clarke,
LAC John Hendrie Edwards,
Sgt George Cyril Perry,
F/O Kenneth Richard Hugh Sylvester.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IF in Manston: 1 killed

Date & Time: Mar 11, 1940 at 2320 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L6682
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Manston - Manston
Location:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
On final approach to Manston Airport at night, the crew failed to realize his altitude was too low. The airplane impacted a tree and crashed in a field, bursting into flames. A crew was killed while two others were injured.
Crew:
F/O Anthony Henry Hamilton Tollemach, pilot,
2nd Lt Philip Rowland Sperling, observer, †
LAC Smith, wireless operator and air gunner.
Probable cause:
Too low approach at night.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I off Great Yarmouth

Date & Time: Jan 16, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
K8833
Flight Phase:
Schedule:
Manston - Manston
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The twin engine airplane departed Manston on a maritime patrol flight with three crew members on board. It crashed in unknown circumstances into the North Sea off Great Yarmouth. The crew (48th Squadron) fate remains unknown.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I off Dovercourt

Date & Time: Dec 1, 1938
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
K6174
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Manston - Manston
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was conducting a night training exercise out from Manton and was flying along the British coast when an engine failed. The captain reduced his altitude and ditched the aircraft in the Dovercourt Bay, about a mile offshore. All four crew members were rescued and the aircraft was lost. At the time of the accident, weather conditions were poor.
Probable cause:
Engine failure in flight.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson in Leeds: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jun 18, 1937
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
K8763
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Manston - Manston
Location:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The pilot departed Manston Airport on a night solo training exercice on behalf of 48th Squadron. While performing manoeuvres at low altitude and at low speed, he lost control of the aircraft that stalled and crashed in a field. The pilot Sgt William Hinson was killed.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I in Ewell Minnis: 3 killed

Date & Time: Feb 22, 1937
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
K6158
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Manston - Manston
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a local training flight out from Manston Airport. While flying at night in a snowstorm, the twin engine aircraft was struck by lightning. It went out of control and crashed in a field located in Ewell Minnis, between Folkestone and Dover, coming to rest upside down. Two crew members were injured while two others were killed. Two days later, one of the survivor died from his injuries.
Crew (48th Squadron) :
Gwilym James Maurice, pilot, †
Stanley McCabe, radio operator, †
George Edward Strangman, navigator, †
Reginald John Cooper, navigator.
Probable cause:
Went out of control after being struck by lightning in flight.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I off Whitstable

Date & Time: Jun 25, 1936
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
K6166
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Manston - Manston
MSN:
981
YOM:
1936
Location:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew from the 48th Squadron was performing a routine flight along the east coast of England when the left engine failed in flight. The captain attempted to ditch the aircraft some 10 km off Whitstable, Kent. All four crewmen were quickly rescued. The airplane was towed to the harbor of Whitstable and later considered as damaged beyond repair. First accident involving an Avro 652 Anson Mk I.
Probable cause:
Engine failure in flight.